Modify the "warning" message when looking up for languages not supported

CLOSED This issue is closed by Nemo_bis

Added a link on MediaWiki:Translate-page-no-such-language; better than nothing.

Good day,

Right now when we do a search for a language that is not supported, for example the code "atj", we got the warning message "The language code is incorrect", while the code is actually correct for the language Atikamekw, but it is only not supported (yet). I think the warning message should be somewhat different, pointing to this support page, or to a help page explaining how one can have its language added.

Thanks,

"Correct" can mean many things, indeed; it surely doesn't mean "ISO-valid" here. Is this code on CLDR? If not, I doubt it can be checked anywhere. Do you have proposals for a wording? Remember that it would be the same on other wikis using Translate.

The code given was only an example. I don't know if there is a technical way to have a different message if the code searched is really an invalid ISO code or if it is a valid ISO code that is not supported by translatewiki.

How about an alternative wording "The language code is not recognised or is disabled" (the message appears both where no portal exists and where the language has been disabled (example). Perhaps we could link with the help page Translatewiki.net languages with a link text something like "Read about languages supported at translatewiki.net and request a new language".

Indeed, I agree, simply adding a link to a help page would make all the difference.

Thanks

Which page is this message on?

All pages, before TUX: translate-page-no-such-language ("Specified language was invalid."). It's currently visible in LanguageStats and also in Special:Translate with tux=0 if you enter a wrong language *after* selecting a message group (otherwise only the group selector is shown).[1]

With TUX, Special:Translate disregards invalid language codes and assumes you wanted your interface language, it seems; or rather, the language selector does, while message loading fails without warnings and probably also without closing some HTML tag because sidebar is pushed down.

Yep the latter (unclosed tag) is already in bugzilla. So is just rewording the message enough? Without the help link?

With the link, I think. That's the most important part I'd say.

That's also the most difficult part because it would be twn specific, and we can't do local overrides here easily.

Well, if we can't do overrides here easily, then the link is equally valid for all MediaWiki instances; if we enable languages here with methods not valid for every MediaWiki, then the help page may not help.

How about writing a general help page on languages at Mediawiki.org, and pointing to that. That page could contain a link to the languages page at translatewiki.net.

Could be a section in mw:Language in MediaWiki, or Translating:MediaWiki.

I have drafted a new section to be part of the mw:Manual:Language page. I have put it on the talk page for comment. I would be grateful if you would comment there or here before I shift it to the page itself. Have I written anything incorrect or misleading? Have I missed out anything important?

The section is on a page which seems to be primarily aimed at developers, so it looks a bit out of place, being primarily aimed at potential users and translators. However, it seemed to be too specific for the more general mw:Manual:MediaWiki_architecture#Languages page.

About the best place to put the advice needed, if the error message above is part of the translate extension, then I think it would be better if the error message linked to one of the help pages for the translate extension at Mediawiki. The help provided wouldn't then need to be as Mediawiki specific as the help page already drafted for the mw:Manual:Language page.

Lloffiwr, any fresh idea on how to proceed?